Integral end closure and hub for valve body and method of forming same

Abstract

An integral valve end closure and hub formed from a circular section of steel plate having a small coaxial hole in the center. The steel around the hole is swaged outward with a tapered die for initial forming of a hub and then, in a second swaging operation, the outer portion is swaged to substantially cylindrical configuration. The result is an end closure starting with a cylindrical hub at the pipeline connection, and then flaring outward almost to the inner diameter of the main body member to which the closure is attached, by bolting or welding.

What is claimed as invention is: 
     
       1. For a ball valve body having a generally cylindrical tubular main body band with an annular end surface and a valve ball journalled therein, the width of said body band being less that the diameter of said ball; means forming a generally circular, end closure for said body band from a single thick flat steel plate;   said means further forming an integral tubular hub on said end closure;   a circular flow passageway through said integral end closure and hub;   the steel of said end closure being swaged axially outward around said flow passageway to form said hub with an inner surface of pipeline diameter at the axially outer end thereof flaring radially outward to extend closely adjacent the surface of said valve ball to merge with generally radially portions of said end closure extending in the outer diameter thereof;   an annular recess for a seal ring assembly out in said outwardly flaring portion axially outward of said radial portions; and   means attaching said end closure to said annular end surface of the body band.   
     
     
       2. The integral end closure, and hub defined by claim 1 wherein: the steel of said hub is swaged outward to form a tapered inner surface from near the periphery of said end closure, terminating in a generally cylindrical configuration.   
     
     
       3. The integral end closure and hub defined by claim 1 wherein: the steel of said end closure and hub is swaged outward to form a generally conical inner surface from near the periphery of said end closure, merging into a generally cylindrical inner surface at the outer end of said hub.